{"id":2583,"date":"2021-08-27T18:37:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-27T22:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/charlestonent.fm1.dev\/?p=2583"},"modified":"2021-09-08T17:35:24","modified_gmt":"2021-09-08T21:35:24","slug":"is-it-allergies-or-the-delta-variant-of-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/is-it-allergies-or-the-delta-variant-of-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Allergies or the Delta Variant of COVID-19?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you\u2019ve got a stuffy nose, sore throat or a cough in this day and age, it could be something as benign as seasonal <a href=\"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/allergy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">allergies<\/a> or something as serious as the delta variant of COVID-19. Fortunately, there are ways to help you identify which condition you\u2019re likely experiencing. In many cases, you can tell based on your symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Symptoms of Allergies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/mask-woman-covid-allergies.jpg\" alt=\"Woman wearing a mask in distress\" class=\"wp-image-2585\" width=\"271\" height=\"180\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Allergies are the result of your immune system overreacting to a substance that is normally harmless, known as an allergen. When your body comes into contact with an allergen, the immune system releases antibodies known as Immunoglobulin E (IgE), which triggers the cells to release a chemical called histamine. Histamine is responsible for increasing mucus production and inflammation, causing <a href=\"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/allergy\/allergy-symptoms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">symptoms<\/a> such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Red, itchy, watery eyes.<\/li><li>Sinus pain\/pressure.<\/li><li>Nasal congestion.<\/li><li>Runny nose.<\/li><li>Postnasal drip.<\/li><li>Cough.<\/li><li>Sore\/scratchy throat.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Symptoms of COVID-19<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The list of symptoms associated with COVID-19 continues to grow as we learn more about the virus. Currently, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/symptoms-testing\/symptoms.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists the following symptoms<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Fever\/chills.<\/li><li>Cough.<\/li><li>Shortness of breath\/difficulty breathing.<\/li><li>Fatigue.<\/li><li>Muscle\/body aches.<\/li><li>Headache.<\/li><li>New loss of taste\/smell.<\/li><li>Sore throat.<\/li><li>Congestion\/runny nose.<\/li><li>Nausea\/vomiting.<\/li><li>Diarrhea.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Tell the Difference Between Allergies &amp; COVID-19<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many symptoms of allergies and COVID overlap, like congestion, runny nose, cough and sore throat, which can make it difficult to tell which condition you\u2019re experiencing. However, there are a few telltale symptoms that can point you to the right condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have eye symptoms, you\u2019re most likely experiencing allergies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a fever, body aches, significant loss of taste\/smell or fatigue, it\u2019s more likely you have COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The cough you\u2019ll experience due to allergies will probably be due to postnasal drip (mucus draining down the back of the throat) whereas a COVID cough is dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that it\u2019s possible to experience both allergies and COVID-19 at the same time, meaning you could experience symptoms from both lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to Do Next<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you suspect you have COVID-19 or you\u2019re still unsure, it\u2019s important to isolate yourself and get tested at a <a href=\"https:\/\/scdhec.gov\/covid19\/find-covid-19-testing-location\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">South Carolina COVID-19 testing site<\/a> right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your symptoms are due to allergies, contact an allergist to discuss treatment options. For more information about the difference between allergies and COVID-19 or to schedule an appointment with an expert allergist, call Charleston ENT &#038; Allergy today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><ul class=\"related-posts\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/can-allergies-affect-your-mood\/\" class=\"related-post\">Can Allergies Affect Your Mood<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/why-does-steam-help-clear-congestion\/\" class=\"related-post\">Why Does Steam Help Clear Congestion?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/why-has-my-allergy-medication-stopped-working\/\" class=\"related-post\">Why Has My Allergy Medication Stopped Working?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve got a stuffy nose, sore throat or a cough in this day and age, it could be something as benign as seasonal allergies or something as serious as the delta variant of COVID-19. Fortunately, there are ways to help you identify which condition you\u2019re likely experiencing. In many cases, you can tell based&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2585,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Your symptoms could be something as benign as seasonal allergies or something as serious as the delta variant of COVID-19.","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","locid":"","rating":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2583"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2583"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2583\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2595,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2583\/revisions\/2595"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2583"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/charlestonent.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}